In the Movies

WESTCHESTER – He never really saw himself following his mom’s footsteps into theater. In fact, when Patrick Davin was growing up in Gloversville, he had his eyes set on a future playing soccer. He was pretty good at it, playing for Gloversville High School and later at college.

“My mom was a community actress in Mayfield,” said Davin. “She always tried to get me involved, but I just wanted to play soccer – I wasn’t interested in theater at all.”

But a few years after graduation, when he was in his mid-20s, Davin had a change of heart and moved to New York City.

“I studied acting in New York City with known acting teachers,” said Davin, who graduated from Gloversville High in 1985. “I did a couple of known plays.”

But just as quickly as he got into being an actor, Davin got out. The acting bug just didn’t bite.

“I moved to Connecticut, stopped acting, got married and started writing plays,” Davin said.

While worked at his day job – Davin is a social worker – he wrote at night and during his free time.

Then he met Dan Simon, a director and fellow writer.

“I met my current writing partner and we hit off. We made some short films together,” said Davin.

Those films led to the making of their first, full length film, “Lonely Boys.”

“‘Lonely Boys’ is the first feature production we have done together,” said Davin.

The movie is a black comedy about the friendship between two men over the course of a weekend, and explores how the men deal with their own personal crisis – one is newly divorce and the other struggling with his own relationships.

“‘Lonely Boys’ is how close friendships can get you through dark moments in life,” said Davin. “It is about opening up and having someone to lean on. It is about intimacy and having no fear of expressing those feelings.”

According to the website MovieBuzzer.com, “Lonely Boys” is about how the relationships collide over the long weekend.

“Jules (Dan Simon, who also co-wrote and directed the film) is a frustrated playwright who is struggling with rewrites demanded by the producer of his latest play. He visits his friend Saul (Gregory Lay, who also co-developed the story), a frustrated house manager of a Brooklyn restaurant who is dissatisfied with the quality of the food he is serving (including an elk burger that apparently tastes “like Chris Christie’s ass”).

“In addition, both Jules and Saul are hung up on women who broke their hearts – Jules was dumped by his girlfriend two months ago, while Saul has refused to sign the papers to finalize the divorce that his estranged wife is waiting for. While Jules has tried to curb his drinking to help his writing, Saul rarely is without an alcoholic beverage in his hand, and when he’s drinking his maturity level drops significantly. Moreover, he expects Jules to drink with him, sobriety be damned,” the reviewer writes.

“We write about relationship-based movies that take place in New York City,” said Davin, who is presently working on another film, also set in the city. “The next one is about a couple in the 70s and another in their 30s and how people deal with their intimate partners,” he said. That movie will be shot this winter and is, said Davin, “…a Woody Allenesque comedy.”

“It is a comedy with a dose of reality.”

The 90-minute “Lonely Boys” movie is presently making the film festival circuit as Davin and Simon work to market it.

“‘Lonely Boys’ was funded through a social media platform,” explained Davin. “That money allowed us to shoot about 60 to 70 percent of ‘Lonely Boys.'”

Then a trailer they had posted got noticed.

“Someone saw our initial trailer and that is our angel investor,” said Davin. “He is also onboard in our next work.”

Continuing, Davin said the film was made on a very small budget, using local actors.

“This was a film made so inexpensively,” said Davin. “We’re very happy with it. And there is such a good pool of great actors in New York City.”

The film is garnering decent reviews.

At MovieBuzzers.com, the reviewer writes: “At times both brutally hilarious and brutally honest, “Lonely Boys” is the type of low-budget gem you hope to see in the program of a film festival. It combines clever writing, amusing performances, and a story that is familiar enough to relate to, but eventually veers into territory that challenges the viewer.”

The movie just had a screening in Fort Worth, Texas and is scheduled for the San Antonio Film Festival July 31.

Davin said they movie should be available for viewing in the near future.

“We’re getting into a lot of festivals and have gotten a couple of good reviews and someone to distribute the movie,” said Davin.

Continuing, he said they are working on the movie being available for download and through internet services such as Hulu and Netflix.

“People will be able to screen it at home and through Netflix and Hulu,” said Davin. “I’m not sure it will get a movie house release.”

For those thinking about following the acting bug or going into the movie business, Davin offered a little advice.

“You have to follow your heart and passion – your muse,” said Davin. “Even if you strike out at first whether you are writing an essay, short story or painting a painting, you have to honor your muse. Be sort of a slave to it. If it’s there, it won’t go away. Like for me, I felt I wanted to say something. There are time we all get busy, but if the voice is there, listen to it.”

Davin is the son of John Davin of Gloversville, June Davin of Jupiter, Fla., and stepson of Victoria Davin of Gloversville.